WHO WE ARE

We are a collective of advocates, yoga teachers, artists, therapists, lawyers, religious leaders, teachers, psychologists and activists committed to the emotional/mental health and healing of Black communities.

OUR VISION

We envision a world where there are no barriers to Black healing.

OUR MISSION

BEAM is a 501 (c)(3) organization. Our mission is to remove the barriers that Black people experience getting access to or staying connected with emotional health care and healing. We do this through education, training, advocacy and the creative arts.

What We Believe

1.

Dismantling the systems that dehumanize Black people in America is a long term project. In the face of this we must create community based systems of care that help alleviate the harm and trauma for present and future generations.

3.

Effective emotional health strategies must include a variety of approaches. Practices such as dance, yoga, generative somatics, spiritual and religious practices, psychotherapy, creative arts, medication and more must be used together in order to transform our emotional health landscape.

4.

Therapeutic and public health models that isolate individuals or subsets of the community and do not support the capacity of the broader community to support them; are not effective in transforming the emotional health of Black communities.

5.

Emotional health work can not see progress, if that work is not done alongside addressing the inequities in the criminal legal system, economic reform, HIV/AIDS, transphobia, homophobia, racism, misogynoir, reproductive justice, sexual assault, intimate partner violence, child sexual abuse and other issues that challenge the wellness of Black communities.

6.

In order to be sustainable, community based systems of care must integrate into current practices in Black life and build upon current traditions and norms in Black communities.